Display



Feb. 9, 1937; L. J. CLARK 2,070,544

DISPLAY 55, 39. ATTORNEYJ;

Feb. 9, 1937.

Filed Sept. 3, 1955 L. J. CLARK DISPLAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 f-a "85 --l/3 INVENTOR. l5/fz c7, Var/ BY 9% M@ *QW ATTORNEY;

Feb. 9, 1937. 1 J. CLARK 2,070,544

DISPLAY v Filed Sept. 3, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l/65 /55l l 1 l I f I 5 s /57 l I "A55 l I I l l 1 t- 5 l INVENTOR. 5f/ff ff Clav/ ATTORNE Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE DISPLAY application September 3, 1935, Serial No. 38,935

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of displays used as panels, as backgrounds, as shapes, asshelves, and in similar combinations, and aims to provide such articles and constructions and means for so forming the same that continuous length effects can be obtained even for large Work notwithstanding limitations in size of the individual pieces whereof the displays are made. The invention further aims to eliminate the need for wooden framing, and to make such displays seif supporting and of such character that they can be packed iiat for transportation in knocked-down condition. The preferred material for the practice of my invention l5 is corrugated board either with partial or complete reinforcement, the reinforcement preferably also of corrugated board. Although corrugated board is described, and is the preferred material at present employed for this purpose,

the inventive principles are applicable'to other materials having the properties of rigidity over a small extent or span.

By the assembly arrangements herein disclosed in furtherance of the inventive purposes, a suiciently rigid self-sustaining display, or parts for the same, can be made from material which is inherently only semi-rigid in large sheets. By bracing one part against another and by the use of reinforcements of a character exemplified in the following specification, the large sheetswhich would otherwise have a tendency to flop and bend can be maintained stiff. This feature is related to and operates Vin furtherance of the joining feature or principle of my invention.

Although primarily designed for backgrounds on the order of four to ten feet high, my invention is not limited thereto, but is also applicable, both in its general aspects and in details, to smaller uses such as window displays, counter screens, and so on.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing an example of a plurality of panels of large dimensions formed into a single display or screen by means of my invention;

(Cl. 24S-174) Fig. 2 is a plan view of a display similar to that in Fig. l, but with additional features;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of sills which are used in carrying out my invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the method of as- 5 sembly of the vertical sheet material with such sills;

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing another arrangement employing the principles of my invention; 10

Fig. '7 is a perspective illustrating framing details;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section substantially as indicated by 8--8, Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragment of a horizontal section 15 substantially as indicated by 9 4), Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a perspective, partly broken away,' showing a single columnar shape made according to my invention;

Fig. 1l is a development of the cover of Fig. 10 20 Fig. 12 is a plan View of a sill from Fig. 10;

Figs. 13 and 14 are details of construction taken on the lines l3-l3 and lll- 1:55, respectively, of Fig. 10, but also applicable to other constructions; 25

Fig. l5 is a perspectiveillustrating a modified columnar shape constructed on the same principles as are employed in Fig. 10, but also showing a modied bracing method;

Fig. 16 is an inverted View in perspective, partly 30 opened and partly cut away, of a plateau made according to the principles of my invention.

In the detailed description hereafter, the terms vertical and horizontal are primarily used in a limiting sense, for the reason that the con- 35 structionsfor which my invention is best adapted are usually relatively high and shallow from front to rear. However, the terms vertical and horizontal are not limiting, but are only for convenience of designation. To elaborate, Figs. 1 40 and 2 show a decorative screen which may be four or five feet high and a foot or less in depth from front to rear, intended as a floor display background. Exceptionally, a display of this character might be slanted back or even laid at. 45 The principles of assembling the display would be the same, but in applying the description to an` inclined or flat use, the terms vertical and horizontal could not be taken literally, although comparison with the particular descrip- 50 tion of the illustrative embodiments would make the meaning clear.

Figs. l and 2 are best described as consisting of the indicated sections A, B, and C.

Since corrugated board, also called boxboard, 55

is at present the most desirable material for use in thisA work, and since the limiting width of corrugated board as made today is usually i8 inches, on account of factors of machine construction and operation and other manufacturing considerations, it will be assumed that each section, A, B, C, is about 31/2 feet wide. Exact dimensions are of no importance, and are suggested only for illustrative purposes.

The panel A shows the spectator a front I, which in this particular illustrative form is a large spread, angled toward the spectator, and made of a single piece of material. In the illustration shown, single-faced board with the corrugations outside and horizontally placed is used for the Visible surfaces, front and back. This piece I actually extends between the points 3, 3,

but the visible part is slightly narrower, between the angles 5, 5. The left end of panel A may comprise a pi1aster 'I or some other construction, several possibilities being described or indicated as the description proceeds. The connections between successive panels, as A to B and B to C, are also capable of various artistic treatments, either by such an intermediate pi1aster as is indicated at 9, or otherwise, within the possibilities of the material and the mechanical principles of my invention.

The back of the panel A consists also of a single principal sheet ii, shown as fiat in t -is instance, flanked by the rear faces of the pilasters 'i' and 9. Numbers of modifications are possible. The sheet II and the rear faces of the pilasters will be of ornamental material if the panel is visible from the rear. If the rear is not intended to be seen the back sheet II may be omitted entirely, unless necessary for strength. This sheet Ii, similar to sheet I, is exposed between the corners I5, I5, but extends slightly farther, to I3, I3, to fasten into horizontally placed sills such as 2| and 23, also sometimes called braces, as will be explained in detail below. These sills or braces constitute part of a supporting framing for the entire display structure.

Vertical braces as 25, interlock with the sills 2|,

` as shown in more detail in Fig. '7, and further vertical bracing is given by the inturned parts of the facing sheets, that is parts such as the edges from 5 to 3 and from I5 to I3.

The interconnection from panel to panel is by means of the connecting sills 23 one of which,

joining the panels A and B, is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, being there shown below the level 0f the longer sills, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Another connecting sill 29, generally similar to 23, is shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 where it is above the level of the longer sill, also as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The disposition of these various longer and shorter sills above and below one another, and in respect to the number used, will be whatever is most convenient. They can be put wherever they best serve the purpose of supporting and sometimes shaping the exposed surfacing sheet material and of interlocking the frame. The sills are all shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 for the reason that in that gure they are behind the panel and pi1aster surfaces.

The sill 2| is horizontally disposed, with its portion 9 vertically above the end part 3| of the connecting sill 23, so that the slots 33 and 33. 35 and 35 are vertically aligned. The arrangement will be understood by reference to Fig. '7, although the reference characters therein are not the same, as well as by reference to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Similarly the slots 3l' and 39' are vertically aligned with corresponding slots 3'I and 39 in the sill il next on the right in panel B.

Now particularly considering Fig, 5, in which the element 43 represents any sill having slots 45 and lll' cut inward from its periphery, not necessarily at a right angle although so shown, the ends 49', 5I', and 53 of corrugated sheets 49, 5I, and 53 are fastened into these horizontal slots, making vertical ribs similar to such as are shown at 55 in Fig. 7, where the same inturned edge runs through an entire series of aligned slots 5'I. Besides their fastening function, these ribs also act as part of the framework, similarly, in that respect, to the vertical braces 25. In some constructions made by the principles of my invention no other vertical braces than such ribs as these are needed.

Returning now to Figs. 1 and 2, the framework for this particular display comprises an upper and a lower series of sills 2I III and 59 extending horizontally and connected by shorter sills such as 23 and 29.

he front of the screen, as an entirety, comprises the exposed surfaces `I, I, 9, 6I, and 63, in which I, 6I and 63 are each a large sheet of ornamental-faced board tucked at its edges into slots in such a manner as shown in Fig. 5 and indicated by the elements 55 and 5'I of Fig. '7, and already described in some detail. Several different possibilities of panel connection and panel edge treatment are shown. Besides the pilasters 'I and 9, a direct connection is shown at the edge common to the faces 6! and 63, without any intermediate ornament. between panel B and panel C is thus substantially as would exist in Fig. 5 were the board which terminates at 49 in the slot 45 is omitted. The sheet 6I is directly shaped against a sill 4I. This sill 4I is generally similar to the sill 2I, except that it is wider to the front, and angled, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form the sheet 63 into an angular bay.

Another possibility of construction is that of panel C wherein the sill 59 is straight and of the same width as sill 2I. 'I'his panel C also illustrates a slightly different end shaping, as readily apparent from Fig. 2, which needs no detailed description. The right end of the sheet which composes the surface 53 bends as at S9 around 7.:

the corner of the sills 59, and tucks into an end slot il. Thus the large ornamental surfaces I and 63 are supported only at their edges, while the surface 6I is immediately backed by and shaped to its sills 4I. merely illustrative of a few possible variations of arrangement.

The backs of the panels B and C may be similar to the backs of the panel A, or can be ornamentally treated, as may be most desirable in any particular situation. The bottoms of all the exposed ornamental surfaces rest directly on the floor.

Fig. 7, already referred to, may be taken as typical of the connecting arrangements between any successive panels, also of the framing or bracing arrangements which characterize my invention. For clearness of illustration, the sills (or horizontal braces), and vertical braces are shown in solid lines and the ornamental sheets are broken away along the angles on which they are turned into the slots. For instance the rib 55 may be taken as equivalent to the concealed tucked-in edge from. 5 to 3 in Fig. 2 and contiguous tucked-in edge of the surfacing of the The physical connection I These differences are (l if) pilaster 9, and the rib 'i9 may similarly be regarded as illustrative of the contiguous edges which are tucked into the slot 39, Fig. 2. Such ribs as and T9 strengthen the structure vertically in the same manner as the vertical framing braces 25, 25 of Figs. 1, 2, and '7. The elements 2i' and 25 are illustrative of the bracing of panel A, or may be regarded as representative of the elements di and 25 of panel B. The connecting sills i3 happen to be disposed in about the same relative position as the connecting sills 29 between panels Band C, and the sill 59 corresponds in a general way to the upper sill 59 in panel C, with a vertical brace 15 also shown.

Fig. 6, a perspective largely omitting detaiis of construction, illustrates generallyr a modified display in which panels D, E, and F, of various sizes, are used, together with an ornamental screen N, a shelf S, and a platform, or plateau, P. The assembly of the panels D, E, and F is by means similar to those used for panels A, B, C. The facing sheet of each panel is tucked along its edges as at |55, iol, and 65 into sills. A little of the top sills can be seen at I l l The surfacing of the panel F is carried around the end i i3 and secured in slots in the back edges of the sills in the same way that the surface fil, Fig. 5, is carried around from the slot l5 in the front of the sill to the slot il in the back of the same sill. D is the widest panel, and E and F happen in this illustration to be of equal width. In Fig. 6 it is assumed that the surface of E and F is a single sheet, but that vertical strengthening is needed along the line 85. Fig. 9 shows a way of accompiishing this without breaking the continuity of the sheet.

Fig. i) shows in plan a portion of a sill 8l, this sill being slotted at 89. The surfacing sheet of corrugated board (which in this instance will be most conveniently applied with corrugations vertical, although horizontal direction of the corrugations is not impossible in such a situation) is folded in upon itself to form a Z-ply rib Si. This rib is simply bent back upon itself at its ond 53 instead of being made of two separate but contiguous surfaces, and acts as a vertical bracing member and a connector for successive superposed sills. In this instance it is assumed that the total Width of panels E and F, plus necessary allowance for tuclring in, is within the limits of width of corrugated board or similar construction material.

The screen N is connected to the left side of panel D by having an edge tucked into the sills of the display. The portions 5l and 5! of Fig. 5 are illustrative of the method of attachment of this screen to the assembly. The first screen leaf 95 corresponds in this respect to 5l of Fig. 5. The screen N as an entirety stands along the floor at an angle to panel D, and is vertically selfsupporting without any back bracing, on account of its folded construction.

The shelf assembly S is illustrated in Fig. 8 where it is seen to comprise a forward extension H5 of a horizontal sill H1 extending forward through a suitable opening H9 in the iront of the panel E and covered with corrugated board or other ornamental material l2| above and below, the covering Iii being preferably held by tucking through the slot H5 as indicated at E23 and 25. Advantage may be taken of the inherent characteristics of corrugated board to stiften the shelf, by having the corrugations of the covering i2! extend transversely to the corrugations of H5. The other horizontal sills of panel E are shown at |21 above and below. Panel E is assumed to be open at the back, hence no back covering is shown.

The plateau P is one of a number of modiiied individual shapes which may be made according to the principles of my invention, some of which are illustrated on Sheet 3 of the drawings.

In Fig. 16, which is an inverted view of one end of a plateau of different proportions from that shown at P in Fig. 6, the ornamental covering material 43E is appropriately cut at the corners as at 33 and along the edges as at 35, i3?, and

ld, to fold over the ends of the interior bracing l Carrying the principles of my invention to even simpler structures, the cylinder of Fig. l0 is formed using upper and lower sills E52 slotted as E53 to receive the irl-tucked edges E55 of a covering i5?. This covering, again, will preferably be made of ornamental corrugated board w with ribs paraliel to the cylinder for ease of bending and also to add to the vertical. strength. These two contacting edges 255 form a rib 553 corresponding to the ribs 55, 'il and 'FQ of Fig. 7,

or to 59 of Fig. 16, besides holding the covering I" in place.

The pieces which go into the making of the cylinder are a covering, developed in Fig. l1 and two or more identical sills l5# of which Fig. l2 is a plan. Brok-en lines in Fig. ll indicate folds between the various parts of the covering sheet. (Figs. l0, 1l, and 12 are not exactly in the same proportion.)

Columnar structures may be reinforced at the ends, and the sills held with sufficient strength to carry merchandise displayed thereon by turning the covering material upon itself into either a single cuff Il, Fig. 14, or a double cuff 53, E55, Fig. 13, thus stiifening the edge of the structure and affording a support for the sills l5l. Where the double cuff is used the slot 55 can be a little wider, to take four thicknesses of the covering material.

Numerous other modifications of the principles of my invention are possible in making elements of various shapes such as columns of elliptical, heart-shaped, square or other cross sections, and

so on.

For instance, a semi-cylinder is shown in Fig. l5, wherein the sills il l, only the upper of which is visible, are semi-circular and the covering H3 is carried around and tucked at its ends into the sill slots H5. Thus the inturned ends again form supporting and strengthening ribs besides holding the covering. This figure also illustrates doubling a single covering sheet upon itself, solely to use it for a vertical brace, just as in Fig. 9. The cover |13 is so secured into the sill slot lll.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have invented a means and method of utilizing box board and similar materials which are available only in limited sizes, and which are flexible in certain directions and certain sizes, but which are self-supporting over more limited spans, and have so combined various elements and members of such materials as to enable these materials to be used for the building of self-sustaining structures the aggregate sizes of which and the strengths of which exceed the inherent possibilities of the material if not applied in the manner I have invented.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A display spread comprising a framework, superposed series of horizontal sills successively partially overlapping and constituting part of said framework, a covering of sheet material concealing said sills, said sills having slots therein which are vertically aligned in successive superimposed sills, said covering having portions inturned and tting into said slots, thereby forming vertical ribs of a framework whereof the sills are horizontal members.

2. A display construction comprising a framework of sheet material and ornamental sheets connected thereto, said framework including a plurality of braces extending in prolongation in the same direction and partially overlapping, and of ribs extending substantially at right angles to said braces, said ribs being formed of integral portions of said ornamental sheets.

3. A display construction comprising a framework of sheet material and ornamental sheets connected thereto, said framework including a plurality of braces extending in prolongation in the same direction and partially overlapping, and of ribs extending substantially at right angles to said braces, said ribs being formed of integral portions of said ornamental sheets, said ribs individually connecting overlapping parts of successive braces.

4. A display construction comprising a framework of sheet material and ornamental sheets connected thereto, said framework including a plurality of braces extending in prolongation in the same direction and partially overlapping, and of ribs extending substantially at right angles to said braces, said ribs being formed of integral portions of said ornamental sheets, said ribs individually connecting overlapping parts of successive braces and collectively also holding a plurality of said braces in parallel relationship.

5. A display spread comprising a plurality of panels each including its own supporting frame and a covering which interlocks with and forms a structural and functional part of said frame, said spread including framework elements common to a plurality of panels and interconnecting the same.

6. In a display comprising vertical and horizontal framing of sheet material stiff in short lengths, and a covering supported thereby, a shelf comprising an extension of part of the framing through said covering, said covering being slotted about the base of said shelf, and ornamental sheet material covering and reinforcing said extension, said sheet material being held in place by binding action between the shelf and the slot in the covering.

LYNN J. CLARK. 

